Dr. Weisenthal
Dr Robert W Weisenthal was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin -Madison as an undergraduate (B.S. in Political Science) (1974-78) and then medical school (1978-82). He was a resident at the Scheie Eye Institute – University of Pennsylvania (1983-1986) followed by a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at the University of Iowa under the mentorship of Dr. Jay Krachmer (1986-87). Subsequently, he was invited to return to the Scheie Eye Institute as Assistant Chief of Service to direct the residency program. (1987-88)
He moved to Syracuse NY in 1988 to join the faculty at Upstate Medical University. He initially served as the director of residency training, followed by stints as Chief of Ophthalmology at the VA Hospital (1992-98) and then Crouse Hospital (1999 -2002). He is currently the Chief of the Cornea and External Disease Service and a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Upstate Medical University since 2004. His research interests reflect his clinical practice as a Cornea specialist, particularly lamellar corneal surgery, corneal cross linking and cataract surgery.
He served on the BCSC committee for the AAO for 10 years and has led or participated in many courses at the annual Academy meeting. He was awarded a Senior Achievement Award and the Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for these contributions. He has also served in the local and state medical society including a term of President of the Onondaga County Medical Society and as the Chairperson of the Young Physician Section of the New York State Medical Society.
Of all his accomplishments, he is most proud of his family. With his wonderful wife Jenny of 33 years, he has raised three children. Ben, the oldest, finished his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Vanderbilt and is currently a Spine fellow at the Leatherman Spine Center in Louisville KY. Sam is at the University of Rochester in an MD PhD (Statistics) program. Jake, youngest son, is in a combined Masters of Public Policy and Business Administration program at Harvard.
He has also had leadership roles in a number of local not for profit organizations. His hobbies include playing classical guitar, tennis, and skiing. He has traveled to LaCeiba, Honduras over 25 times since 1991 leading a team of surgeons, nurses and volunteers to perform corneal, cataract and oculoplastic surgery. Over the years his team have helped thousands of patients in close collaboration with a family of Ophthalmologists from LaCeiba, the Drs. Ponce.